


Stay

by blk0912



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:00:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25075759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blk0912/pseuds/blk0912
Summary: When she comes home from a weekend away with her son, Olivia finds out they can no longer stay in their apartment. Rafael volunteers to help.
Relationships: Noah Porter Benson & Olivia Benson, Rafael Barba & Noah Porter Benson, Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 50
Kudos: 94





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was working on this after posting a chapter of "Trivia Night" and then got inspired for the next chapter of that story so I began to work on that instead. I have another couple of stories in my head as well, but I want to get the next chapter of "Trivia Night" written first. Hopefully this weekend. I know I don't need another multi-chapter fic, but I can't seem to help myself. After a little re-writing, I decided to just go ahead and post this anyway (and hopefully my attempt at angst isn't horrible). 
> 
> This was inspired by TeaGirl14's "Moving On", so a very special shout out to her. Hopefully this isn't *too* similar. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy :)

* * *

After dropping Noah off at preschool following a long weekend away, Olivia was surprised to find many of her neighbors carrying boxes and large suitcases out of the building.

“What’s going on?” she asked, feeling very out of the loop.

One of her neighbors, an older lady named Priscilla, took pity on her. “There was a flood last night-a bunch of pipes burst. Manager said there’s temporary housing available at The Hideaway or we can find our own, we just can’t stay here.”

“Why wasn’t I notified?”

Priscilla shrugged. “I don’t know, honey, you’ll have to talk to Harold. If you can find him.”

Olivia took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. Taking out her phone, she called Fin to let him know she would be later than she had originally anticipated. She needed to pack up what she could. She didn’t know if her apartment had been damaged or if the entire place smelled like dampness now. The new apartment manager, Harold, was rarely around and even more rarely answered his phone after hours.

* * *

“Where’s Liv?” Rafael asked irritably as he made a half-hearted attempt to listen to Carisi ramble on about some new law term he’d learned in one of his classes the night before.

“Dealing with a situation at her apartment,” Fin answered. “Carisi, enough, man. You’re going to give _me_ a headache.”

“But…” Sonny began.

“Carisi, just stop. I beg you,” Amanda pleaded. “Jessie was up half the night with a cold and I’m exhausted. I might give you some of that night time cold medicine just to make you shut up for ten minutes.”

Rafael rolled his eyes and then stood to regard them. “I’m going to get some decent coffee. Be prepared to fill me in on the case when I get back.”

“Think the coffee will improve his mood?” Sonny asked once Rafael was out of earshot.

“Doubtful,” Amanda replied. “He misses his Livy love.”

This time it was Fin’s turn to roll his eyes. “Don’t let Barba hear you say that or be prepared to be verbally filleted.”

Amanda simply smiled at him. “You know it’s true.”

“I’m not discussing our Lieutenant’s private life, and neither should either of you. You heard what Barba said. You two are the ones that talked to the victim and the witnesses, so be prepared. Or he might just verbally filet you anyway.”

* * *

Olivia was relieved to find that there was no damage to her apartment apart from the overwhelming smell of dampness. Luckily, Noah’s most prized possession, his trusted stuffed elephant, Eddie, was still in his bag in the car. She had a mind to bill the apartment building management company for the unusually high dry cleaning bill she was sure to have to pay to try and salvage some of her clothes. Sighing, she packed what she thought she could either have dry cleaned or washed for both her and Noah, packed as much food as she could, and then called a local long-term stay hotel to see if they had a room available.

* * *

The next morning, Olivia walked into the precinct and was surprised to find a large latte on her desk. Turning, she saw Rafael sitting on her couch, looking through a case file and making notes on a nearby legal pad. Grabbing the coffee, she took a sip and then walked over to sit beside Rafael on the couch.

“Is that the Harmon case?” she asked.

“Mm.” Rafael answered as he jotted another sentence down on his legal pad. “Heard you had an eventful day yesterday.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Don’t get me started. Noah hates the bed in the hotel room, says he wants to go home to his bed. He doesn’t understand why we can’t go home if there’s not a flood anymore.”

Turning his attention to his best friend, Rafael sent her a sympathetic look. She offered him a tentative smile as she raised the coffee cup. “Thanks for this.”

“Least I can do.”

“You want to explain to my son why we can’t go home? Maybe he’ll listen to you.”

Rafael chuckled. “I’m not sure what I could say that you already haven’t.”

“He was up half the night complaining about the bed being uncomfortable. Apparently even Eddie dislikes it. He was _fine_ in the room upstate, but not this place. The manager there had the nerve to tell me this morning that we needed to be quieter or he was going to have to ask us to leave. He didn’t even have the decency to pull me aside and tell me. He cornered me in the breakfast area, with plenty of other people around to hear him.”

“I assume you said something back to him?”

Olivia smiled a little as she took another sip of her coffee. “I may have mentioned that the best ADA in the city was my best friend and I’d have him find some kind of violation to shut the place down if he didn’t learn some respect and tact.”

Rafael laughed. “Happy to help.”

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to just start complaining like that.”

Rafael shook his head. “I’m always here for you, and for Noah.”

“He’s been asking for you.”

“He has?”

Olivia laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised, Rafa. You know how much he loves spending time with you. You’ve even kept him overnight for me before.”

“You two could stay with me,” Rafael heard himself offer before he could stop the words from coming out of his mouth.

Olivia shook her head. “I can’t ask that of you.”

“You’re not, I’m offering.”

“Rafael.”

“Olivia.”

“You don’t want a four-year-old destroying your nice apartment.”

“You make it sound like he’s never been there before and I have all of these valuables just sitting around.”

Olivia sighed. She really didn’t want to go back to the hotel for another night and Rafael’s place had always felt like a second home. “Okay, fine, but you have to promise you’ll tell me if we annoy you.”

Rafael raised an eyebrow at her. “Doubtful.”

“Rafa, please.”

“Fine. I’ll tell you if you and Noah annoy me. But like I said, doubtful. I _like_ having you two around.”

“You say that now.”

“Liv. Stop. You two are coming to stay with me, end of discussion. Now drink your coffee and let’s go over this case. Then I’ll help you bring your things to my place. Is Lucy picking up Noah?”

“Yes.”

“Tell her to drop him off at my place. I’ll call the building manager and let her know I need extra keys made, and that Lucy and Noah might beat us there.”

Olivia nodded, smiling a little to herself as Rafael picked up his phone and dialed his building manager. It was nice to feel taken care of for a change instead of always being the one to take care of everyone else.

* * *

“So why did Barba have to be the one to fill Lu in on the Harmon case?” Sonny asked, eliciting a sigh from Fin and an eye-roll from Amanda.

“He missed his Livy love,” she said in a sing-song voice, repeating her words from the previous day.

“ _Verbal. Filet._ ” Fin replied, nodding his head toward the open door to Olivia’s office.

Amanda rolled her eyes at him. “He can’t hear us. And, even if he could, I doubt he’d even be paying attention.”

“One of the most dangerous things to do is underestimate Barba.”

Amanda shrugged, turning back to the paperwork on her desk. She knew Fin was right, but she’d never tell him that. Barba had a knack for sneaking up on people and using it to his advantage. He didn’t miss much, and that’s what made him good at his job. Even if he was often a pain in her side with his need for the smallest details and specifics.

* * *

Walking into the hotel lobby, Olivia did her best to hide her smirk as she saw the hotel manager pale a little when he realized she had brought Rafael with her. Deciding to mess with him a little, she took out one of Rafael’s cards and put it atop the keycard packet as she slid it across the desk.

“I’m checking out early,” she said. “If there are any further issues, you can contact ADA Barba.”

The manager simply nodded. “I apologize for this morning, Ms. Benson.”

“Ms. Benson is a lieutenant with the NYPD, and I can assure you that she and her son never meant to be disrespectful or cause any kind of disturbance,” Rafael told him. “Any charges can be billed to Mainstreet Property Management. I’ve already been in contact with them and they have promised to take care of Lieutenant Benson’s stay here last night.”

“I will get it taken care of and there will be no charge to Ms. Benson’s card.”

Rafael nodded before turning to Olivia. “Ready to go, Liv?”

Olivia smiled and nodded. “Ready.”

* * *

“I don’t want to go back to the hotel,” Noah complained as he and Lucy walked out of his school.

“We’re not going back to the hotel,” Lucy replied. She suspected he would never be going back to his and Olivia’s apartment, either, but she was going to keep that thought to herself for now.

“Where are we going, then? For ice cream?”

Lucy laughed and shook her head. “No, not for ice cream.”

Noah frowned as he tried to think about where else Lucy might take him.

“This isn’t the way to the park…” he said, thinking out loud. “Are we going to a _different_ park?”

Lucy shook her head again. “Nope, not a park,” she said, and then thought of Rafael’s address. “Well, not exactly.”

“It’s kind of late to go to the zoo…”

* * *

“Rafa, are you _sure_ you don’t mind Noah and me staying here?” Olivia checked as she finished setting up what would be Noah’s temporary room.

“Liv, for the last time, _I’m sure_ ,” Rafael answered, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. “I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t.”

“You know you’re probably going to get roped into helping him with his homework, right?”

Rafael chuckled. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Olivia placed Eddie on the bed and then walked past Rafael to the room that would be hers for the foreseeable future. She was still irritated about the whole situation at her apartment, about not being notified, and she’d begun to resent herself for letting herself come up with excuse after excuse for why she hadn’t looked for a new place for her and Noah. She knew what the truth was, that the only place she wanted to move was in here with Rafael, but she had always pictured it under much happier circumstances. And not with them having separate bedrooms.

* * *

Wanting to give Olivia some space to decompress before Noah arrived, Rafael walked into the kitchen and began to put away the food she’d brought and made a mental note to do some grocery shopping the next day, including picking up whatever Olivia and Noah needed. He wanted to take care of them. They were two of the most important people in his life and while he wasn’t thrilled with the way them moving in with him had happened, he wasn’t upset that it did. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Noah’s excited voice.

“UNCLE RAFA!” he said excitedly, making a beeline for the older man. “Lucy said we get to stay with you? Is that true? We don’t have to go back to the smelly hotel? Did my mom bring Eddie? Where am I staying? Will you help me with my homework?”

Rafael laughed as he lifted Noah into his arms. “That’s a lot of questions, _amigo_ ,” he said, pretending to study the little boy closely. “Did Lucy give you ice cream?”

Noah giggled. “No. She said we weren’t going to get ice cream. She wouldn’t even tell me that we were coming here!”

Rafael looked over at Lucy, who was watching them with amusement.

“I thought it would be more fun if he figured it out for himself,” she explained, setting Noah’s backpack down by the couch. “I’ll see you in the morning, Noah.”

“Bye, Lucy!”

“Oh! Before you go,” Rafael began, shifting Noah to his hip as he grabbed something off of the counter and handed it to Lucy. “I know you have a set of keys to Liv’s place, but since Noah will be here for a while, I thought you should have a set of keys to mine, too.”

Lucy nodded, adding the keys to her key ring. “Have a good night,” she said with a smile before turning and walking out the door.

* * *

Later that night, while Rafael was putting Noah to sleep, Olivia curled up on one corner of the couch with the book she’d purchased while on vacation. She hadn’t even noticed Rafael return until he set a glass of wine on the coffee table.

“Good book?” he teased, taking a seat next to her.

Olivia smiled as she reached for the wine glass. “So far.”

“Feel free to continue reading. I just have a couple of cases that I wanted to go over.”

Olivia finally noticed the glass of scotch as well as the case files, legal pads, and Rafael’s favorite gold pen sitting on the coffee table. “I can go in my room and read,” she offered.

Rafael rolled his eyes. “Don’t be absurd.”

Olivia smiled a little to herself at Rafael’s reply. Stretching out her leg, she poked him in the thigh with her foot. “This is _your_ home,” she reminded him. “And I told you to tell me if Noah or I were being annoying.”

Rafael rolled his eyes again. “And _I_ told _you_ that I wanted you and Noah here with me. Your little boy is fast asleep in the big bed he likes so much and I let him talk me into making omelettes in the morning,” he said, and then sighed. “Just let me do this for you, okay?”

“Okay,” Olivia agreed. She didn’t want to fight with him; she just wanted to enjoy his company.

* * *

“Rafael, this is too much,” Olivia said, taking in the omelette, toast, and fruit on the plate in front of her.

“It’s really not,” Rafael insisted.

“It’s good, Mommy!” Noah said before putting a forkful of omelette in his mouth.

Olivia smiled at her son. He was certainly in a better mood this morning than the previous one. Though she suspected that had as much to do with their company as it did the more comfortable bed. “Did you say thank you to Uncle Rafa for making breakfast?”

“Yes, Mommy.”

“Good boy.”

* * *

The next night, Olivia walked into Rafael’s apartment and found him sitting on the couch with Noah in his lap, a book the little boy was reading from opened in front of them. Olivia felt her heart ache. They looked like father and son. Coming home to them felt _right_. Like they were a family. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she plastered a smile on her face.

“Hi, boys,” she greeted.

“Mommy! Uncle Rafa is helping me with my reading!” Noah exclaimed, never moving from Rafael’s lap.

“I made _arroz con pollo_. There’s leftovers in the fridge if you want to warm them up,” Rafael told her.

“It was good, Mommy!”

“I think Uncle Rafa might be the Noah-whisperer,” Olivia teased as she dropped her bag by the door and then walked into the kitchen.

Noah giggled. “I like it here with Uncle Rafa,” he said.

“I know, sweet boy. I do, too.”

Rafael felt his heart speed up at Olivia’s words and silently chastised himself for it. They were best friends and she’d never given him any indication she wanted more. Or had she, and he just hadn’t wanted to notice for fear of getting his heart broken again? With a slight shake of his head, he turned his focus back to the little boy in his lap.

“Keep going, _amiguito_ ,” he encouraged.

“Can I give Mommy a hug first?”

Rafael smiled. “Of course.”

* * *

Later that night, as they relaxed on the couch together again, Olivia decided to give into her curiosity.

“What case are you working on?” she asked. “The Harmon case hasn’t gone to trial yet, you won the Peters case, and the other cases SVU had pleaded out.”

“It’s one McCoy personally asked me to look into,” Rafael replied absently, making notes on something from the file open in front of him.

“Why did he ask _you_ to do it?”

“Does it matter?”

Taken aback by his question, Olivia snapped her mouth shut and stood. “Look, Rafael, I appreciate all the time you’ve been giving to my son, but I told you that I didn’t want your work to suffer and I asked you to tell me if we were being annoying. I’ll make arrangements in the morning to go stay somewhere else. Don’t worry about making breakfast in the morning, I’ll just wake Noah early and we’ll go out somewhere. Then I can explain to him that we won’t be staying with you anymore. Good luck with your case.”

Rafael set down his pen and stood, grabbing her wrist. “Liv, please. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. This isn’t about you and Noah being here, I swear.”

Olivia sent him a sad smile as she pulled her wrist away. “Goodnight, Rafael.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's part 2. Olivia and Rafael make up, because I can't keep them mad at each other for long :) 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy :)

* * *

The next morning, Olivia woke to find that she had been covered up and there was a note propped against a picture on the bedside table. Blinking her eyes a few times to clear her vision, she recognized Rafael’s handwriting and realized he must have been the one to cover her up.

_McCoy’s godson got involved in some bad things. He’s trying to keep it as quiet as he can for the boy’s family. I wish I could tell you more, but I can’t until I talk to McCoy._

_I’m sorry._

_Please don’t leave._

As she moved to put the note back on the table, she noticed the picture in the frame. It was from Amanda’s birthday party the previous month. Sonny had talked them all into going to a karaoke bar. Amanda had been up on the stage, very drunkenly singing, and she and Rafael hadn’t been able to hide their laughter after exchanging a smile. That was when Sonny must have snapped the picture because they were grinning at each other, clearly laughing. Smiling to herself, she stood and walked across the hall to the small bathroom she and Noah were currently sharing.

* * *

After her shower, Olivia was a little disappointed to find that Rafael had already left. She had initially planned on waking Noah early and taking him out somewhere, but decided to see what Rafael had for food first instead. She opened the fridge to find a post-it note on the side of the milk.

_Noah’s favorite cereal is in the cupboard to your left_

Curious, Olivia took the post-it and opened the cupboard Rafael had indicated. A brand new box of Noah’s favorite cereal was there, along with a loaf of the bread she liked. Smiling at how well Rafael knew her and her son, she took out the two items and set them on the counter before going to wake her son.

* * *

Once Noah had eaten breakfast and gotten ready for school, Olivia sat him down on the couch to watch some morning cartoons while she finished getting ready for work. Bending to pick up the remote, she smiled when she saw another post-it. This one had an arrow pointing to the _Netflix_ button and said _press me for Noah favorites_

“Press the button, Mommy!” Noah encouraged.

Doing as her son requested, Olivia pressed the button and felt her heart lurch a little when she saw _Olivia_ and _Noah_ along with _Rafael_ in the list of profiles.

“Go ahead and pick one,” Olivia said, handing the remote to her son after selecting his name from the list.

* * *

Walking into Rafael’s office with his favorite coffee in hand, Olivia was surprised when Carmen stopped her.

“He’s with McCoy right now,” she explained. “They should be finished shortly if you want to wait.”

“I need to get to the precinct,” Olivia regretfully replied. Then an idea occurred to her. “Do you have a post-it?”

“Um, yeah, here you go,” Carmen responded, handing the post-it and a pen to the older woman.

After writing a quick message to Rafael, Olivia stuck the post-it to the top of the coffee cup and then handed it and the pen to Carmen. “Make sure he gets this?”

Carmen nodded. “I will.”

* * *

Once his meeting with McCoy was over, Rafael was craving a cup of coffee from his and Olivia’s favorite coffee cart. He walked out to tell Carmen he was leaving when she held a coffee cup from said coffee cart with a post-it attached to the top out at him. Curious, he took the cup and quickly scanned the post-it.

_Your favorite from our favorite_

“What does that even mean?” Carmen asked as Rafael took a sip of the coffee.

“Uh, it’s kind of hard to explain. Inside joke, I guess?” he replied before turning back to re-enter his office. “I’m going to try and get some paperwork done.”

Carmen nodded, understanding that meant hold all of his calls.

* * *

Later that night, Rafael entered his apartment and smiled when he heard the voices of Olivia and Noah.

“Uncle Rafa!” Noah greeted, running towards him.

Rafael bent and hugged the boy tightly. “What are you making, _amigo_?” he asked, standing and walking with him into the kitchen.

“It’s spaghetti night,” Olivia explained with a shrug.

“It smells delicious.”

“Will you help me with my spelling again tonight?” Noah asked Rafael.

“Of course, _amigo_. After dinner.”

“Everything should be ready in about ten minutes if you want to change,” Olivia told him.

Rafael nodded. “When I get back, _mi amigo_ and I can set the table.”

* * *

After putting Noah to bed, Olivia returned to the living room to find a glass of wine sitting on the coffee table next to Rafael’s scotch.

“For me?” Olivia asked with a small smile, nodding towards the wine.

“Yes,” Rafael answered. “I really am sorry for last night. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

Olivia sighed, taking a seat on the couch next to him and reaching for the wine, taking a sip before she spoke. “You’re forgiven. I think I overreacted a bit, too. You’re my best friend, Rafa, and you opened your home to me and my son with no advance notice. I can’t even begin to tell you what that means. I guess I just let everything get to me and I created a problem.”

“So we’re good?”

Olivia smiled and nodded. “We’re good.”

“How would you feel about helping me with this case? I talked to McCoy this morning; he said he’s okay with me sharing everything about it with you. Apparently Dodds recommended that he have you look at it with me because we make a good team.”

“Psh. Just good?” Olivia asked with mock hurt, making Rafael grin. “We’re the _best_. So, what do we know?”

* * *

After Rafael had brought her up to speed on the case, Olivia couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was very familiar.

“I feel like we’ve had a case like this before,” she said.

“We as in you and me or we as in SVU?” Rafael asked.

“I…don’t know. I think SVU for sure. It just seems so familiar, but I can’t place it.”

After a few minutes of silence, Olivia snapped her fingers. “I know!”

Rafael watched her with interest as she retrieved her laptop and brought up the NYPD’s database of old cases. Typing in a few keywords, she smiled in satisfaction when she found the case she was looking for.

“You start reading, I’m going to go check on Noah,” Olivia told him.

* * *

“Noah okay?” Rafael asked, looking up from the computer screen when Olivia returned a couple of minutes later.

“Fast asleep,” she replied, reclaiming her seat beside him on the couch.

“I think you’re right about these cases being connected. I’m just not sure if it’s the same person or a copycat.”

“Do you think McCoy would let my squad investigate this? We could start by re-interviewing people from this original case and see if anyone has anything new to say.”

“I’m not sure. He told me he wants to keep this as quiet as possible.”

“But nobody would think twice about you working with SVU on a case.”

“I don’t know, Liv. I mean, we could ask him, but I think he’d probably say no.”

“Would you go with me to interview some of these people from the original case? If we can contact them and get them to agree to meet?”

“Of course.”

“We can make a list tomorrow,” Olivia said, shutting her laptop and closing the case file. “Enough work. I want to watch a movie on this extremely comfortable couch of yours.”

Rafael chuckled. “Am I allowed to join you for this movie?”

“Only if you make popcorn.”

“See, I told you popcorn made my way is better than that microwavable stuff you got the first time.”

Olivia laughed and pushed his shoulder. “Go make popcorn!”

* * *

A few minutes later, Rafael returned to the living room to find the case file and Olivia’s laptop gone from the coffee table and Olivia herself lounging on the couch with her feet curled up beside her. Taking a seat next to her, Rafael pressed a button on the side of the couch to lift up the footrest, laughing when Olivia gaped at him.

“Of course your couch has a footrest,” she teased.

“Would you rather I put my feet on the coffee table?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Olivia threw a piece of popcorn at him as she laughed. “I wouldn’t put it past you. You put your feet up on your desk and tables all the time.”

Rafael threw a piece of popcorn into his mouth. “So, what did you pick?”

“ _The Mummy_.”

* * *

The next morning, Olivia woke to the sound of her stomach grumbling and to the smell of coffee-specifically the Cuban coffee that Rafael loved so much. She made a mental note to pick up a can of it as a thank you to him. Stepping out of her room, she heard Noah laughing at something Rafael had said.

“Morning, Mommy!” Noah greeted when he spotted her walking into the kitchen.

“Morning, sweet boy,” Olivia replied, pressing a kiss to his head. Turning to Rafael, she asked, “What’s for breakfast this morning, _Cocinero_ Barba?”

Rafael laughed. “Scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit. Noah’s lunch is ready, the cold things just need to be added before we leave.”

“ _We_?” Olivia repeated.

“Noah has requested that we both take him to school. I thought you could just come with me to my office so we can get started on that list we talked about last night,” Rafael replied. “But if you want to just take him yourself, I can just head to the office…”

“I guess that depends on how well _someone_ eats his breakfast and behaves while I get ready for work,” Olivia replied, reaching out to tickle Noah.

* * *

Later that morning, after they had arranged interviews with all of the people on their list they could get a hold of, Rafael and Olivia were getting ready to head to the precinct when they heard a knock on the door.

“I thought you said we were meeting the squad at the precinct?” Rafael asked, walking over to open the door.

“We are,” Olivia replied.

Rafael shrugged, but opened the door. “Jack,” he said in surprise.

“I’m looking for an update,” the older man said as he entered the room, initially not seeing Olivia.

“Olivia and I are still working on it,” Rafael replied, nodding his head toward her as he spoke. “We think we found a link to this case from a previous one and we’ve set up interviews with various people involved over the next week.”

“We’re doing everything we can,” Olivia assured him. She was about to add that her squad would be more than happy to help as well but changed her mind when saw Rafael subtly shake his head at her.

“We’ll keep you updated,” Rafael promised. “But we need to get to the precinct and talk to the squad about a new case.”

“Certainly you don’t need to be involved yet, Rafael?” Jack asked, thinking back to his days as an ADA.

“Maybe not, but I like to keep myself informed. Some of the early details have been important factors in a few of my cases.”

Jack nodded, watching with interest as Rafael and Olivia seemed to have a silent conversation before the former opened the door and waited for the latter to walk through first. Slowly making his way out of the office, he closed the door behind himself and then turned to Carmen.

“Do they do that often?” he asked.

“Do what?”

“Have silent conversations.”

Carmen smiled. “All the time.”

“They’re not…”

“Together? No, not that I know of. Although that doesn’t stop the rumor mill from speculating.”

“Hmm.”

“Would you be mad if they were? Together, I mean. Er, rather, to get together, I guess.”

“Do you mean would I separate them?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t see any reason why I would need to. I’m sure they can keep things professional at work…and I’m not about to lose my best ADA.”

“You really think he’d walk away for her?”

Jack nodded. “Or at least ask for a transfer to another department. Which would be a shame since he and SVU make such a good team.”

* * *

The following week, after going through the evidence in both cases and linking what they could, Olivia and Rafael sat back to look at the board they had laid everything out on.

“What are you thinking?” Rafael asked, noticing the way Olivia was looking intently at the board.

“There’s still something missing,” she said, grabbing another case file she had found earlier in the week and flipping through the pages again. When she’d found what she was looking for, she grabbed a marker and drew a line from McCoy’s godson to the son of the original perpetrator. Then she wrote “MCCCOY” next to his godson’s name and drew another line from him to the original perpetrator.

“McCoy was the lead prosecutor on the case against Liam Kinkaid. Greg goes to school with Kinkaid’s son, Aaron. But Aaron has his mother’s last name so there’s no way anyone would know his father is Kinkaid unless they knew him or his family well. We have to find out how Aaron found out that Greg is McCoy’s godson. Aaron deliberately lured Greg into this situation; we just have to prove it. Then you can prosecute him and put him away for a long time.”

Rafael grinned as he walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands. “You’re brilliant!” he said before impulsively leaning in to press his lips to hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The connecting old case and interviewing people involved in it, plus the layout of the board, were inspired by a show called Cold Justice. 
> 
> translations:  
> amigo: friend  
> cocinero: chef


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I apparently wrote myself into a case fic without meaning to. I didn't originally intend to write this story as such, but now I'm attempting it. I'm not exactly sure where the case is going yet, this isn't based on something I've seen before, so hopefully it works out. 
> 
> For those of you who wanted to see more McCoy, your wish has come true. As I've stated in Trivia Night, I haven't seen the original Law & Order, so I know next to nothing about his character. I read his wikipedia page and took some liberties with his background...but that's what fanfiction is for, right? 
> 
> Anyway, hope you all enjoy! :)

“You’re brilliant!”’

Rafael heard himself say the words, but then it was like his body disobeyed his brain and he was suddenly giving into the impulse to press his lips to Olivia’s. He was about to pull back and apologize when he felt her slide one hand around the back of his neck and the other cup his cheek as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss.

“Livia,” he whispered as he pulled back a few moments later.

“Rafa?” Olivia answered, sounding unsure as she took a step away. “I’m sorry, I thought…I thought you…I thought you maybe wanted _us_.”

Rafael stepped toward her and slid his arms around her waist, pulling her close as he bent to whisper in her ear. “ _Quiero estar contigo por simpre, hermosa_.”

Olivia wrapped her arms around Rafael’s neck, hugging him tightly. “ _También, guapo._ ”

“You really are brilliant, you know.”

“If I had known finding a missing link in a case was the way to get you to kiss me, I would have tried that _years_ ago.”

Rafael laughed and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Years?” he repeated.

Olivia gave him a quick kiss. “Years.”

“So then how about we make up for lost time, and you and Noah officially move in with me?”

“Stay forever?”

“Yes.”

Olivia was silent for a few moments, contemplating the best way to put her thoughts into words. When she saw the slightly panicked, slightly hurt look on Rafael’s face, she pressed her lips to his again.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, Rafa, because I do, and I’m sure Noah will be thrilled, but I don’t know what’s going on with my apartment and I have actually been considering looking at houses. I want to give Noah the kind of childhood I didn’t have…I know he’s never complained about living in an apartment, but even something with a small yard he can run around in whenever he wants, maybe something big enough for a swing, too…I’ve just been procrastinating because, well, the only place I wanted to move was in with you…”

Rafael nodded, resting his forehead against hers. “Okay, so how about we start by talking to Noah, see how he feels about _us_ , about the three of us making my place _our_ place. Then on Saturday, Lucy can take Noah for a while we go to your place and see what’s salvageable. I’ll see what I can do about getting more information about what’s going on. Then once that’s all figured out, we can start looking at houses.”

Olivia smiled at him. “I don’t think I’m the only brilliant one in this relationship.”

“It’s an equal partnership,” Rafael replied, capturing her lips with his again.

* * *

“Is there something you two want to tell me?”

Olivia and Rafael broke their kiss and turned their heads to see Jack McCoy standing with his arms crossed, looking at them.

“Um,” Olivia started, looking over at Rafael when she had no idea what to say.

“Jack…” Rafael began, shutting his mouth when Jack held up his hand.

“I had a feeling this was going to happen,” he said, then surprised both Olivia and Rafael by smiling at them. “Rafael, I expect disclosure paperwork on my desk by tomorrow afternoon. Olivia, I’m sure Bill will expect the same. However, I have no problem with you two continuing to work together. Both on SVU cases and on my godson’s. I trust you two to remain professional at work.”

Olivia and Rafael simply nodded.

“Now, it seems you’ve made progress, care to fill me in?”

“Actually, if you don’t mind, I had a few questions I’d like to ask you,” Olivia said, finding her voice.

“Of course. Why don’t you start filling me in and then I’ll answer the questions as they come up?”

Olivia nodded and then turned to Rafael. “Rafa, do you want to start?”

“Sure,” Rafael replied, moving to point at various things on the board as he spoke.

* * *

“So you think someone found out that Greg is my godson and they told Kinkaid’s son, who is using Greg to get back at _me_ for prosecuting his father?” Jack asked once he had gotten up-to-date.

“Yes. We’re just not sure _why_ yet,” Olivia replied. “At least the theory that makes the most sense is that one. The evidence supports it, too.”

Jack nodded, looking at the board again. “I can see that. So, what do you need from me?”

“I think we should start with Greg’s inner circle and work our way outwards.”

“Can you find out from Lisa if he’s made any new friends lately, or gone anywhere out of the ordinary?” Rafael asked. “We believe he was lured into this, but like Liv said, we’re still working on _why_ ; and how Kinkaid’s son found out Greg is your godson.”

“I’m having dinner with them tonight, so I’ll talk to Lisa and see what I can find out. We can meet to discuss this further tomorrow. Around eleven? I’ll buy us lunch.”

“That should be fine,” Olivia answered. “That gives me time in the morning to check in with my squad and get some things done at the precinct.”

“Works for me,” Rafael added.

* * *

“Mom and I really get to stay with you forever?” Noah asked as Rafael tucked him into bed later that night.

“Yes.”

“Good. I like it here with you and Mom.”

“I like it here with you and your mom, too, _mijo_ ,” Rafael said with a smile as he sat on the bed next to the little boy. “Just one story tonight. It’s late and you have pre-school in the morning.”

“You love my mom and me?”

Rafael nodded. “Very much.”

“Love you, too, Rafa,” Noah said sleepily.

Rafael ran a hand over the boy’s hair and leaned down to press a kiss to his head before beginning the story.

* * *

Walking out of what was now Noah’s room, Rafael saw the light on in the room Olivia had been staying in. Curious as to what she was doing, he walked across the hall and leaned against the doorframe.

“Going somewhere?” he teased, watching her put some clothes back in her bag.

“Mm. I heard there was space in the large master bedroom just for me,” Olivia replied, turning and walking over to him.

Rafael stood and slid his arms around her waist. “Where did you hear this?”

Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close for a kiss. “From you. Apparently you love me and want to keep me close to you.”

“Mm,” Rafael replied, brushing their lips together again. “You must be pretty special, then.”

“So you tell me.”

Rafael chuckled and pressed a kiss to her temple before reluctantly stepping back. “I’ll help you move your things.”

* * *

The next morning, Olivia went in early to speak to Chief Dodds.

“Olivia, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Bill greeted as he motioned for Olivia to take a seat in front of his desk.

Silently, Olivia took some papers out of her bag and slid them across the desk to her boss. Bill’s smile grew as he looked over them.

“I was beginning to wonder when, or if, I’d see these from you,” he said.

Olivia didn’t bother to hide her confusion. “I’m sorry?”

“I may be old, Olivia, but I’m not blind. I could see the connection you two had from the first time I saw you together.”

Olivia nodded, suddenly feeling a little emotional. Seeing this, Bill decided to change the subject to give her a minute to compose herself.

“So, how’s the case with Jack’s godson going?”

“I’m not sure if ‘good’ is the right word, but it’s the only one I can think of right now. We’ve made progress, but we’re still missing a few pieces of the puzzle. Jack said he was having dinner with Greg’s parents last night and he would try to find out some more information. We’re meeting for lunch today to go over everything.”

“I’m sure you and Rafael will figure it out.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

“And Rafael?”

Olivia smiled. “He would tell you he doesn’t need it, but would secretly appreciate it.”

Bill chuckled. That sounded like the ADA.

“Well, if there’s anything I can do to help with the case or with SVU, please just let me know.”

“So Rafael and I can continue working together?” Olivia checked.

Bill nodded. “I trust you two, and I wouldn’t want to break up a winning team. You, Rafael, and your team at SVU are doing a lot of good.”

“We try.”

* * *

At the sound of his door opening, Rafael looked up from the case file he’d been making notes on and smiled when he saw Olivia enter. Setting his pen down, he stood and accepted the coffee cup she held out to him.

“You didn’t need to stop and get coffee, Livia,” he said before leaning over to give her a soft kiss.

Olivia slid her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him close for another kiss. “I wanted to,” she insisted.

“So, Noah called me ‘Rafa’ last night and told me that he loves me,” Rafael revealed after he had taken a sip of the coffee. 

“Just ‘Rafa’?”

“Yes. We had a little chat before I read him his story.”

“A chat about what?”

“He asked me if you two were really going to get to stay with me forever and if I loved you both. He said he liked being with the two of us.”

Olivia took a sip of her coffee as she contemplated asking her next question. They may have only officially been together less than twenty-four hours, but she knew, without a doubt, that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with the man in front of her. “What if he decides that he wants you to be his dad?”

Rafael set his coffee cup down on the desk, and then reached for Olivia’s to and did the same before taking her hands in his. “You know, I never believed I would find my soul mate until I met you. From the very beginning, I always felt like I could be myself with you. I tried to maintain the version of myself that I present to the world, but you wouldn’t let me. You’re my best friend and my partner, and I love you. I’ve never been good with kids, but Noah and I just kind of…bonded…and you always encouraged me to spend time with him.”

“The word you’re looking for is _comfortable_ ,” Olivia corrected with a smile. “You were never _comfortable_ with kids. But you’ve always been great with them. You and Noah did bond, and that’s why I encouraged you two to spend time together. You’ll always be my best friend and my partner, but now I can tell you that I love you and I really like that.”

Rafael tugged on her hands to pull her close, smiling when she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “ _Mi alma gemela_ ,” she whispered, and he tightened his arms around her.

“I want to take you and Noah to meet my mom and my _abuelita_ ,” Rafael said when they reluctantly stepped back from each other and reclaimed their coffees.

“If there are pancakes involved, I’m sure Noah will be all-in.”

Rafael chuckled. “There’s always more than enough to eat at Sunday brunch.”

“Let’s talk to Noah about it tonight, then,” Olivia suggested.

* * *

Walking into the outer room of Rafael’s office, Jack frowned as he thought about the information Lisa had given him the night before. He’d written everything down, but still wasn’t seeing the connection between Greg and Aaron.

“Hello, Mr. McCoy,” Carmen greeted, bringing him out of his thoughts.

“Hello, Carmen,” Jack replied. “And, please, call me Jack. Are Rafael and Olivia here?”

“In his office. The food just got here.”

“Where’s yours?”

“In the fridge. I actually brought lunch, and I wanted to make sure the three of you weren’t disturbed. I’ll have it for dinner tonight. Saves me from having to cook when I get home. Thank you, though. I appreciate being included.”

“Of course. Rafael speaks highly of you…and that’s not something a lot of people can say.”

Carmen smiled and nodded. “He’s a great boss.”

* * *

After lunch, Jack gave his notes to Olivia and Rafael so they could update the board in his office. They had brought in a second board as well, where Olivia was now writing names and making connections.

“Liv?” Rafael asked when he saw the annoyed look on his girlfriend’s face.

“There’s still something missing,” she said, tapping the marker against her palm. “There’s a connection we’re not seeing.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. I wish I could see the original case file, but it hasn’t been scanned and I don’t know where else to look for it.”

“I think I might,” Jack said, causing both Olivia and Rafael to turn and look at him.

“I’m afraid my office isn’t as up-to-date with our scans as the NYPD is. My predecessor didn’t seem to think it was much of a priority. There’s a large storage room in the basement that has files waiting to be scanned in it. I could take you there.”

Olivia nodded. “Let’s go,” she said.

* * *

A short while later, Jack let himself, Olivia, and Rafael into the storage room, and then pointed to a row just to the left of where they had entered.

“If it’s here, it’s going to be in a box in this row,” he said, leading his companions to the row in question.

“Where do we begin?” Rafael asked, scanning the labels on the boxes.

“It was April of 2007. One of the last cases I tried as Executive ADA.”

“What did you try him for?” Olivia asked.

Jack thought back to the case and tried to remember the charges. “First-degree kidnapping. He abducted his daughter.”

Olivia and Rafael shared a confused look at this information.

“Wait, I thought Kincaid only had a _son_?” Rafael asked.

“The daughter died. She was only a toddler,” Jack replied, beginning to remember more about the case.

“Same mother as the son or different?” Olivia asked.

“Same, I think.”

* * *

After nearly an hour of searching, Rafael and Jack looked up at the sound of Olivia’s excited yell.

“I found it!” she said, pulling a large file out of the box she had been looking through. “Liam Kincaid. April 2007.”

“Let’s bring this back up to my office. We can start going through it and seeing if we can find the missing piece,” Rafael suggested.

“Actually, we need to go back to the precinct,” Olivia corrected as she read a text from Fin. “We caught a case.”

“I still want to keep this file in my office. Locked away. Then we can go,” Rafael replied as he put the box he’d been looking through back on the shelf.

“I agree,” Jack said as he did the same.

* * *

“Mom! Rafa!” Noah shouted excitedly when he saw Olivia and Rafael walk into the apartment later that night.

Both adults bent to accept his hug as he raced over to them.

“Did you have fun with Lucy?” Olivia asked, running a hand over his hair.

“Yes. But she’s not as good at Lego as Rafa is.”

Olivia laughed, pressing a kiss to her son’s forehead before standing and walking over to talk with Lucy.

“So, what do you say, _mijo_ , are you ready to help me cook?” Rafael asked as he stood and lifted the boy into his arms.

“Yes!”

“What are we making?” Noah asked when Rafael set him on the kitchen counter and began to take ingredients out of the fridge.

“ _Arroz con pollo_ ,” Rafael replied.

“What’s _ar-roz con po-llo_?”

Rafael chuckled as Noah attempted to roll his rs. “Literally translated, it’s rice with chicken.”

Noah tilted his head to the side. “Do I like that?”

“I don’t think you’ve ever had it, but it was one of my favorite dishes when I was your age, so I’m hoping you will.”

“Where did you learn to make it?”

“My mami and my _abuelita_.”

“ _Ab-bue-lita_?” Noah asked.

“My grandma.”

“Oh. I don’t have one of those.”

 _‘You will_ ’ Rafael thought to himself.

“What don’t you have, sweet boy?” Olivia asked as she joined them in the kitchen.

“A grandma,” Noah answered with a sigh.

Olivia shared a look with Rafael before turning back to her son. “How would you feel about meeting Rafa’s mom and grandma?”

“Really?”

“Really,” Rafael answered. “If it’s okay with you, I would like to take you and your mami with me to brunch with them on Sunday.”

“Yes!”

Rafael chuckled, ruffling Noah’s hair before pulling Olivia into his side and pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Go relax, _mi vida_ ,” he told her. “Noah and I are cooking tonight.”

“How long until the food is ready?” Olivia asked.

“About an hour.”

“I think I’m going to go relax in that ridiculously large bathtub, then.”

* * *

Walking into the bathroom, Olivia smiled when she saw a small basket of her favorite shampoo, bath oils, and bubbles sitting on the counter with a post-it note attached to the front.

_To help you relax. Because you deserve the best. I love you._

Taking out the bubbles, she turned the water on and poured them in before turning back to the mirror and beginning to take off her makeup. Once she had tied her hair up, she got into the tub and sank down into its warmth, letting the tension of the day fade away.

* * *

After she had finished her bath, Olivia entered the bedroom to find a large box on the bed with another post-it attached.

_To go with the t-shirt of mine you ~~stole~~ claimed last night. _

Chuckling to herself, she opened the box and found a new pair of pajama pants along with the Harvard t-shirt of Rafael’s that she had claimed the night before. She’d had a feeling that Rafael was a secret romantic and she was more than happy to have that feeling confirmed, so long as _she_ the one on the receiving end of it.

* * *

As he was waiting for the rice to cook, Rafael sat on the couch and pulled Noah onto his lap so they could start on his recommended reading.

“Rafa?” Noah asked when they had finished.

“Yeah?”

“You love me, right?”

Rafael nodded. “Very much.”

“And you love my mom?”

Rafael nodded again and repeated his earlier answer. Biting his lip, Noah looked down at his hands in his lap as he tried to find the words for what he was feeling.

“Noah? Is everything okay?” Rafael checked.

Noah looked up at him with tearful eyes. He was feeling very frustrated that he couldn’t find the words he was looking for.

Pulling the little boy close, Rafael rocked him slightly. “ _Mijo_ , what’s wrong?”

“Next Friday…is…grandparents’ day…but…I don’t…have…any,” Noah sobbed before promptly burying his face in Rafael’s chest.

Rafael hugged the little boy close, pressing a kiss to the top of his head and rubbing his back, unsure what to say. He was positive that his mother and grandmother would love both Noah and Olivia, and both would willingly be there for the little boy next week. But he didn’t want to get ahead of himself; Noah hadn’t even called him ‘dad’ yet.

* * *

When she walked back into the living room, Olivia stopped as she heard the end of Noah and Rafael’s conversation-Rafael calling the little boy _mijo_ and Noah’s tearful confession about not having any grandparents for grandparents’ day. The first part made her heart soar with happiness and the second broke it with sadness. To an outsider, the scene Rafael and Noah made as the former cuddled the latter close and whispered words of comfort in both English and Spanish would make them think the two were father and son. And as far as Olivia was concerned, they were. There was no one else she would want for Noah’s father.

* * *

Once he felt like he could speak again without crying, Noah leaned back and looked up at Rafael.

“What does _mijo_ mean?” he asked softly.

“It’s, um, a term of endearment. It means ‘my son’,” Rafael answered.

“Why do you call me that?”

“Because I love you…and I would like for you to be my son someday.”

“Someday?”

“I love your mom, and I love you, and I would very much like for us to be a family.”

“You want to keep us forever?”

Rafael smiled and nodded. “I’d like that.”

“You’ll be here when we need you?”

“Always. I want to take care of you and your mami.”

“Can someday be today?”

Rafael tilted his head. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“You said that you want me to be your son _someday_. But I want _someday_ to be _today_.”

“I would love that, but I think we should talk to…” Rafael began, his sentence cut off by Olivia cupping his face in her hands and kissing him.

“I agree with Noah,” she said, taking a seat next to them on the couch. “I have no objections if he chooses for you to be his dad.”

“I choose Rafa,” Noah said with a determined nod of his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame the sappy ending on "My Immortal" by Evanescence, because that's what I was listening to when I wrote it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is me messing with the SVU canon timeline again. I wanted Olivia to meet Catalina, so I made it happen :)   
> Special thanks to joyfulmariskahgt for letting me use the name she came up with for Rafael's abuelito. I wasn't sure at first what I wanted Noah to call Catalina, but decided to go with inspiration from my own family and what my nieces and nephews call my grandma.  
> This chapter also contains a scene I've been wanting to write for a while but it didn't work in any of my other fics, but I was able to make it work here, so hopefully my translations are correct :)   
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

After putting Noah to bed Saturday night, Olivia curled up next to Rafael on the couch as he found a movie for them to watch. He had already made popcorn and gotten drinks for them. When he lifted his arm, she cuddled into his side, smiling when she felt his arm drop around her shoulders to keep her close.

“So, what are we watching?” she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

“I thought we’d continue with _The Mummy_ franchise,” Rafael answered.

Olivia lifted her head and cupped his cheek to turn his head towards her. “I love you.”

Rafael smiled at her, leaning over to brush their lips together. “I love you, too.”

“Thank you again for coming with me to my apartment today.”

“Of course. I’d do anything for you, Livia.”

“I guess it’s a good thing Noah and I moved in here because none of my furniture was salvageable. But I’m glad most of my pictures were spared.”

“I’m sorry about the picture of your mom.”

Olivia shrugged. “It’s not like I exactly have positive memories of the woman. A few fleeting ones when she managed to stay sober for any length of time, but those are less than a handful.”

Rafael nodded in understanding. “You okay?”

Olivia smiled at him, reaching up to cup his cheek in her hand. “I have you and our son. I’m really good.”

Rafael rested his forehead against hers. “Do you still want to look for houses?”

“Yes and no. I mean, I’d love to have a house, but with our jobs, maybe the security here is better.”

“While I don’t disagree about the security, I want to make you happy. So if you want a house, we’ll get a house.”

“What do _you_ want?”

“To come home to you and Noah.”

“That’s not very helpful, Rafa,” Olivia said with a sigh.

Rafael chuckled, leaning in to kiss her softly. “I know, I’m sorry. But it’s true.”

Olivia was silent for a few minutes, content to simply be close to Rafael. “Could we maybe just _look_ at some houses?”

“Of course, _mi alma_.”

* * *

The next morning, as he, Olivia, and Noah stood outside of his _abuelita_ ’s apartment building, Rafael took a deep breath before letting them in the first door. After pressing the button to connect him to her apartment, Rafael scooped Noah up into his arms and slid his arm around Olivia’s waist to pull her close. Once they were buzzed in, he reluctantly let go of Olivia’s waist to allow her to climb the stairs first.

“Which floor?” she called back.

“Third,” he answered.

“That’s a lot of steps,” Noah observed, eliciting chuckles from both adults.

“It is, _mijo_ ,” Rafael replied, pressing a kiss to the side of his head. “That’s why I’m carrying you.”

As they approached the door to Rafael’s _abuelita_ ’s apartment, Olivia noticed Noah biting his lip.

“What’s wrong, sweet boy?” she asked.

“I don’t want to go back to calling dad ‘Rafa’.”

“Who said anything about you having to do that?” Rafael asked.

“You said they don’t know about me yet.”

“That doesn’t mean you’re not my son anymore. I love you and your mom, and I want you two to meet the other two most important people in my life.”

Noah nodded, but clung tightly to Rafael. Olivia smiled, pressing a kiss to his head. Once Rafael had knocked on the door, she slid an arm around his waist as he did the same to her.

* * *

“Do you have any idea who Rafi’s surprise guests are?” Catalina asked her daughter as she went to answer the door.

Lucia shook her head. “No, Mami, he wouldn’t tell me.”

Catalina hmmed in response before opening the door. When she saw Rafael, Olivia, and Noah standing together, she couldn’t help the bright smile that bloomed on her face.

“Rafi, you bring me such beautiful guests,” she said. “Please, come in.”

 _‘They look like a family’_ Lucia immediately thought when she saw her son and his guests.

“Mami, _Abuelita_ , this is my girlfriend, Olivia, and our son, Noah. Livia, Noah, this is my mami, Lucia, and my _abuelita_ , Catalina.”

“Please, Cati is fine,” Catalina replied before playfully hitting Rafael on the arm. “Rafi, _nieto_ , why didn’t you tell me sooner that I had a _bisnieto_?”

Rafael sighed and shrugged, eliciting a laugh from Olivia.

“What’s a…bis-neto?” Noah asked.

“ _Bisnieto_ ,” Rafael corrected, demonstrating the proper pronunciation. “It means great-grandson. I’m her _nieto_ , her grandson. Since you’re my son, that makes you her great-grandson.”

Noah nodded, filing the information away. “What do _I_ call _her_ then?”

“Technically, she’s your _bisabuela_ …” Rafael began, looking over at his grandmother.

“How about _Abuela_ Cati?” she suggested.

“What do I call your mom then? Noah asked Rafael.

“How about _Abuelita_?” Rafael answered.

Noah nodded again, seeming content with those answers. Leaning his head on Rafael’s shoulder, he watched his new _abuela_ put her hands over her heart and make a happy face.

* * *

While Rafael, Catalina, and Noah chatted, Olivia wandered into the kitchen where Lucia was cooking.

“Everything smells delicious,” she said a little nervously.

“Thank you,” Lucia replied with a smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Olivia. My mami and I have heard a lot about you. I didn’t know you had a son, though.”

“Is that a problem?”

“No, not at all.”

“Noah has claimed Rafa as his father.”

“I heard. They’ve been close for a while, then?”

Olivia smiled and nodded. “Yes. As Rafael and I got closer, he and Noah did as well. Now it’s like we’ve always been a family.”

Lucia returned the younger woman’s smile. “I would hug you, but my hands are full of dough and I don’t want to ruin your lovely blouse.”

“What are you making?”

“ _Pastelitos_. They’re a favorite of Rafi’s. Although I heard something about blueberry pancakes also being requested.”

“Those would be Noah’s favorite.”

“It’ll be about an hour or so for the _pastelitos_ , but if he’s hungry now, there’s some fruit on the table,” Lucia said, nodding her head toward the dining table in the corner.

“I gave him some apple slices this morning before we left, but thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Both women were silent again for a few moments before Olivia spoke again.

“I hope you know that I love your son very much. _Él es el amor de mi vida_. _Mi alma gemela_.”

Lucia looked up at the sound of the younger woman speaking Spanish.

“Rafi didn’t mention you spoke Spanish,” she said in surprise.

“I actually speak multiple languages, but I’ve found that the Spanish comes in handy around your son.”

Lucia laughed. “You surprised him one day, didn’t you?”

Olivia’s eyes sparkled as she recalled the memory. “I did. Would you like to hear the story?”

“Yes. Just let me put these in the oven first. Would you mind setting the timer for one hour?”

“Of course,” Olivia replied, taking the small timer off of the counter next to the stove and setting it for the time indicated by Lucia.

“ _Cubanita_?” the older woman asked, holding out a glass.

Olivia accepted the drink. “Thank you.”

Lucia led the younger woman into the living room as she spoke. “So, tell me this story about how my Rafi found out you speak Spanish.”

* * *

_After getting the warrant that Olivia had been bugging him about, Rafael paced his office in frustration as he waited for her, waving his coffee cup in the air as he spoke._

_“ **Obtener una orden, dice ella. Solo crème, ella dice. No confíes en tu equipo, dice ella. Es fácil para ella decir que no es ella quien tuvo que despertar al juez en media de la noche para obtener esa orden**. **Mujer enfurecedora.** ”_

_“ **Me haces sonar tan irritante,** Rafael.”_

_Rafael spun around, looking at Olivia, who had just spoken to him in perfect Spanish, with wide eyes and mouth open in surprise._

_“You…” he began, then simply groaned and ran a hand over his face._

_Olivia laughed. “Yes, Rafael, I speak Spanish. Fluently. Among other languages.”_

_“Oh, God.”_

_“If you want to curse me in a language I won’t understand, I suggest you learn one other than Italian, French, Spanish, or Hungarian.”_

_“I’ll…uh…keep that in mind.”_

_Olivia laughed again, and then picked up a piece of paper from his desk. “This my warrant?”_

_Rafael nodded weekly. “Yes.”_

_“ **Gracias, asistente del fiscal de distrito** Barba,” Olivia said, still laughing as she walked out of his office._

* * *

By the time Olivia had finished her story, Lucia and Catalina were wiping tears of mirth from their eyes. Rafael was playing with Noah, but Olivia swore she saw him biting back a smile as he rolled his eyes.

“Oh, that’s perfect,” Lucia said, still laughing. “At least we know he’s being kept on his toes.”

“Do you have any more stories for us, Olivia?” Catalina asked.

“I could tell you the one about the comment he made when we first met.”

“ _Dios, no_. Please, don’t,” Rafael said from his spot on the floor with Noah. “I will buy you a house myself if you promise not to tell that story.”

Lucia and Catalina exchanged amused looks.

“Maybe we could get together for lunch sometime and you can tell us the story then,” Catalina suggested.

“Olivia is very busy, _abuelita_ ,” Rafael told her.

“ _Silencio, nieto_ ,” Catalina replied. “I’m sure someone as important as our Olivia could pull some strings to make time for lunch with her future mother and grandmother-in-law.”

“I’m sure I could make that happen,” Olivia assured her, eliciting another eye-roll from Rafael.

“So, you’re a sergeant with the NYPD?” Lucia checked.

“Actually, I’m a lieutenant now.”

“Congratulations,” Catalina said. “It sounds like your work is very important.”

“I believe it is. Rafa is actually a big help. He’s the best ADA I’ve ever worked with. He does everything he can to help those who need it. Even if there is some grumbling about me and my team along the way.”

As Olivia and Lucia chatted, Catalina took a few minutes to observe the people gathered in her home. Rafael and Noah were playing with some Lego that the boy had brought in his backpack, and it looked like this was something they did together often. Hearing the little boy call Rafael dad and hearing Rafael call him _mijo_ warmed her heart.

It was also obvious to her how in love with Olivia he was by the way his expression softened whenever he looked at her. Those who didn’t know him well might miss it, but she didn’t. This was what she had dreamed for him, even more than becoming a judge. To have a family of his own to share his life with.

Olivia fit right into their family and she loved that the younger woman kept her grandson on his toes. She had also seen some silent communication going on between the two of them and it reminded her of when her Alberto was alive. He’d always known what she was thinking.

 _‘Our Rafi finally found his soul mate, Berto_ ,’ she thought with a smile.

* * *

After brunch, during which Noah had tried and immediately loved _pastelitos_ , Catalina pulled her grandson into her room. Taking a small black velvet box out of her nightstand, she placed it in his hand.

“ _Abuelita_ , your ring?” he asked in surprise.

Catalina raised her hand to Rafael’s cheek. “She’s absolutely perfect for you, Rafi. I can see in your beautiful eyes how much you love her and that little boy. When you’re ready to ask her to spend the rest of her life with you, I want you to give her my ring.”

Rafael nodded, depositing the box in his pocket and then leaning down to hug his grandmother tightly. “I love them so much, _Abuelita_. Sometimes it scares me.”

“Don’t be scared, _nieto_. Just take care of them.”

“I try. They already moved in with me,” Rafael confessed as he pulled back to press a kiss to his grandmother’s cheek.

“Already?”

“Well, Livia had a flood at her apartment and I didn’t want her and Noah staying at some low-rate hotel, so I convinced her to move in with me. Now they’re going to stay and we’re going to be a family.”

“Good. Thank you for bringing them today.”

“Mami, Rafi, is everything okay?” Lucia asked as she entered the room.

“Actually, while you’re both here, I have a favor to ask. I guess, more specifically, Noah does.”

“What is it, _mijo_?”

“His school is having grandparents’ day on Friday and Livia doesn’t really have any family to speak of…so…”

“We’ll be there,” Catalina cut in before turning to her daughter. “Right, _mija_?”

“Absolutely,” Lucia agreed. “I’ll clear my schedule. Send me the details and we’ll be there.”

Rafael smiled and then enveloped them both in a hug. “ _Te amo_ ,” he whispered.

“I want a hug, too!” Noah said as he burst into the room, followed more slowly by Olivia.

Rafael laughed, scooping the boy up into his arms and hugging him tightly. Shifting Noah to his hip, he slid his arm around Olivia’s waist and pulled her to his side, pressing a kiss to her hair as she wrapped both of her arms around his waist and leaned into him.

“I hear we have a date on Friday, _niñito_ ,” Catalina said, reaching up to rub a hand up and down the little boy’s back.

Noah titled his head in confusion, and then smiled when he realized what she was talking about. “Grandparents’ day!” he said excitedly.

“ _Abuela_ Cati and I will be there,” Lucia promised him before pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Olivia tucked her face against Rafael’s neck, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to escape.

Seeing the exchange, Lucia reached for Noah. “Come on, _nieto_ , why don’t you show me and _Abuela_ Cati what you and your dad built?”

“Yes!” Noah replied, talking excitedly as Lucia and Catalina left the room with him to give Rafael and Olivia some privacy.

“Livia, what’s wrong, _mi vida_?” Rafael asked, taking her face in his hands and wiping her tears with his thumbs.

“I’m just really happy,” Olivia answered. “Your mom and grandmother treated me and Noah like family from the moment we walked through the door. Now they’re both going to be there for him on Friday. I tried to not let myself even dream that this would be possible.”

Rafael leaned forward to capture her lips with his in a deep kiss. “I want to give you everything, Livia,” he whispered when he reluctantly pulled away.

“I just need you, Rafa. You and Noah.”

“You have me. Both of you.”

* * *

The next afternoon, Olivia joined Rafael in his office to go over Jack McCoy’s original case against Liam Kincaid.

“What happened to the defense attorney-Martin Johnston?” Olivia asked.

“He retired last year-left his practice to his daughter, Martina. Rita doesn’t speak highly of her.”

“Rita knows her?”

“Not well, but yes. Martina is a _friend_ of Rita’s ex-husband.”

Olivia narrowed her eyes at him. “Why did you say ‘friend’ like that?”

“Rita suspects that her ex and Martina were a little more than _just friends_ for a while.”

“During their marriage?”

Rafael shrugged. “She doesn’t like to talk about it. All I know is she took him for everything she could in the divorce and he didn’t contest anything.”

“Hmm. Well, do you think Martin would be willing to talk to us?”

“If you think it’ll help, it’s worth a shot.”

Olivia sighed, looking at the boards again. “Did Kincaid feel like he was wrongfully convicted?”

“That’s my understanding.”

“Was there anyone else they were looking at back then?”

“Doesn’t look like it.”

“So it was a custody dispute that started this whole thing?”

“It’s a pretty common motivator, unfortunately. But you know that.”

Olivia nodded. It wasn’t something she saw often with SVU, but she’d run across it a few times in her career.

“But why abduct just the daughter? It doesn’t make sense. They could come to an agreement about the son but not the daughter?”

Rafael looked through the original case file again. “The girl wasn’t his. Not biologically. But he didn’t know that until shortly before he took her.”

“She was eleven months?”

“Yes. Kincaid said he helped to raise her, so she was his daughter and he deserved to be able to see her.”

“What did the kids’ mom have to say about it?”

“She said he had a short temper and often yelled at the baby to stop crying.”

“That explains why he shook her.”

“It killed her. Which is why McCoy went for first-degree kidnapping.”

“He also tried to convict him for first-degree murder, right?”

Rafael nodded. “The jury was deadlocked on that charge. They could only agree on a guilty verdict for first-degree kidnapping.”

“How old was Aaron at this point?”

“Nine.”

“So Kincaid had been able to see Aaron but not the baby girl?”

“That’s what it sounds like.”

“Did Aaron and his mom stay in New York after the trial?”

“Yes. She often took him to see Kincaid in prison.”

“So Aaron resets McCoy for putting his father in prison and so he takes it out on his godson. But we still don’t know how he found out that Greg is McCoy’s godson in the first place.”

“So let’s start with Greg’s inner circle and see if we can find any connections there.”

Olivia nodded, grabbing the marker to begin making notes under the names of each of Greg’s closest friends.

* * *

“Which one did Rafi say was Noah’s classroom?” Catalina asked her daughter as they walked into Noah’s school on Friday.

“K-2,” Lucia answered. When she found the classroom she was looking for, she smiled. “Here it is.”

“¡ _Abuelita! ¡Abuela_ Cati!” Noah exclaimed when he saw them.

After they had both accepted hugs from the little boy, he took their hands and led them over to his teacher.

“Ms. Arguelles, this is my _abuelita_ and my _abuela_ Cati,” he said happily.

“I’m glad you both could make it. He reserved two seats near his desk for you. We have some activities planned, but there’s juice and cookies on the table to enjoy while we wait for the other grandparents to arrive.”

“So, _niñito_ , are you going to show us what you’ve been working on?” Catalina asked.

Noah smiled and nodded, leading her and Lucia over to his desk.

* * *

Walking out of school talking animatedly with Lucia and Catalina, Noah didn’t notice Rafael waiting for him.

“I guess I know where I stand now,” Rafael joked as the trio approached.

“Dad!” Noah said excitedly, wrapping his arms around his waist to hug him tightly.

Rafael ruffled his curls and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Did you have fun today, _mijo_?”

“Yes! Ms. Arguelles even took a picture of the three of us! _Abuelita_ has it on her phone, and she said she would send it to you and Mom. _Abuela_ Cati, _Abuelita_ , and Ms. Arguelles talked in Spanish, too. But I don’t know what they said.”

Rafael chuckled. “I guess we’ll just have to work on your Spanish then, huh?”

“Will you teach me?”

“Of course. But not right now. Your mom had to go into work and talk to Uncle Fin for a while, so she’ll be home a bit later. I was thinking we could pick up pizza from her favorite pizza place on the way home.”

“What’s ‘pizza’ in Spanish?”

“ _Pizza_ ,” Lucia answered, eliciting a giggle from Noah.

“Will we see you three for brunch again on Sunday?” Catalina asked.

“Liv has to work, but Noah and I will be there,” Rafael answered.

Noah hugged his grandmother and great-grandmother again. “Thank you for coming today,” he told them.

“Anything for you, _nieto_ ,” Lucia replied.

“Come on, _mijo_ ,” Rafael said, taking Noah’s hand. “Let’s go or your mom is going to beat us home.”

Noah giggled, waving goodbye to the two women before walking away holding tightly to his father’s hand, beginning to animatedly tell him about the day. Neither saw both women hold their hands over their hearts and make happy faces at each other as they watched them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> translations:  
> bisnieto: great-grandson  
> bisabuela: great-grandmother  
> Obtener una orden, dice ella. Solo crème, ella dice. No confíes en tu equipo, dice ella. Es fácil para ella decir que no es ella quien tuvo que despertar al juez en media de la noche para obtener esa orden. Mujer enfurecedora.: Get a warrant, she says. Just believe me, she says. Don't you trust your team, she says. Easy for her to say, she doesn't have to wake a judge in the middle of the night to get that warranty. Infuriating woman.  
> Me haces sonar tan irritante: You make me sound so irritating  
> Gracias, asistente del fiscal de distrito: Thank you, asisstant distrcit attorney  
> Silencio, nieto: Silence/hush, grandson


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those who wanted this to be a true casefic, I'm sorry. I got stuck trying to figure out how I wanted the case to go and then my muse ran with an idea, and then by the time I realized where I had taken it, I had already dug myself too deep. 
> 
> But the post-its are back, as are Catalina and Lucia, so there's that.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all still enjoy the chapter :)

* * *

“Sorry I’m late,” Olivia apologized as she slid into the booth across from Catalina and Lucia. “We caught a case.”

“Do you need to get back to work?” Lucia asked.

“We can reschedule,” Catalina offered.

“No, no, it’s fine. Fin, my sergeant, is more than capable of handling things. I left my detectives with strict instructions as well. Fin enjoys bossing them around, though, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“That’s very trusting if you,” Lucia said.

Olivia smiled. “Fin has been with SVU nearly as long as I have, and he’s a good friend. I trust him with my life.”

“Rafi said you two have been here before?” Catalina checked as Olivia looked over the menu.

“Mm,” Olivia confirmed with a nod. “A few times.”

* * *

Once they had placed their orders, the three women talked amongst themselves while they waited for their food.

“So, what’s this story about the first time you met Rafi?” Catalina asked.

Olivia smiled at the memory. “I was still just a detective. We had a temporary captain, as my captain at the time had been framed for murder, which long story short he was cleared of. Anyway, he brought Amanda and I to meet our new ADA after a trial. The first words he said to us were ‘Captain, take your daughters to work day?’.”

Lucia and Catalina laughed.

“That sounds like Rafi,” Catalina said with a smile. “His mouth gets ahead of his brain sometimes.”

Olivia laughed. “Oh, I know.”

* * *

When she returned to her office, Olivia saw a post-it on top of her laptop.

_No house for you_

Laughing, she took out her phone and snapped a picture of the post it before attaching it to a message to Rafael.

**_Does this mean I have to move back into the other room?_ **

Rafael’s response was almost instantaneous.

**_No. Means you have no longer earned a house. Points have been deducted, mi amor._ **

Olivia smiled and then typed out her reply.

**_Guess I’ll just have to earn them back ;)_ **

* * *

A few days later, when he returned to his office after a draining morning, he saw Olivia was already there, going over McCoy’s godson’s case. Her hair was clipped up and she had the cap of a marker between her teeth as she studied the boards. He saw that she had crossed some people off, and also added people to a third board that hadn’t been there this morning.

“How was court?” she asked, not taking her eyes off the boards.

“Headache-inducing. Buchanan was the defense attorney and he was his normal asinine self.”

“This wasn’t an SVU case.”

“No. Homicide. Another favor to McCoy. Their ADA recused herself because it involved a friend of her family’s.”

“Did you put Buchanan in his place?”

Rafael chuckled. “Of course.”

“I asked Carmen to order us lunch. It should be here soon.”

“Are you co-opting my assistant now?”

Olivia laughed. “She’s helping me earn points back.”

“Mm. You only get half of the points for lunch since you had help.”

“It’s better than no points,” Olivia said, pointing her marker at him.

Rafael laughed as he shrugged off his coat and unbuttoned his vest, tossing them both over the back of his chair before rolling up his sleeves and walking over to his girlfriend. “Fill me in.”

* * *

After lunch, Olivia called Fin to check in while Rafael studied the progress she had made while he was in court that morning. He was taken aback when he saw a familiar name up on the board.

“Jodie Lanier?” he asked when Olivia ended her call.

“I don’t think she ever forgave McCoy for having Alex prosecuted. She recently started at Greg’s school and inserted herself into his inner circle. She and Aaron recently started “dating”.”

“Why did you use air quotes around the word dating?”

“I don’t think they’re actually dating. More like plotting.”

“But we still don’t know how Aaron found out Greg is McCoy’s godson. Alex wouldn’t have known that information.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“Do I dare ask why?” Rafael asked with a sigh.

Olivia rubbed a hand up and down his arm. “When I found out Jodie Lanier was now part of Greg’s inner circle, I had a hunch. I got a copy of Alex’s visitation record. It seems _Mrs. Lacey Jones_ has been to visit quite a bit. Amanda and Fin went there to talk to the suspect in SVU’s latest case and _Mrs. Jones_ happened to be visiting. Fin snapped a picture and sent it to me. It’s Jodie Lanier.”

“So you think Kincaid and Alex, what, befriended each other in there?”

“More like came to an agreement.”

“But how would Alex have found out that Greg is McCoy’s godson?”

“Yelina.”

“Again, _how_?”

Olivia shrugged. “I haven’t figured that out yet.”

“Well, this is just fan- _fucking_ -tastic,” Rafael muttered as he crossed his arms and let out a sigh.

“I’m sorry, Rafa.”

“Now we have a new problem. How are we going to get that information out of Yelina? If either of us starts to ask questions, she’s going to know something is up.”

“I hate to put him in the middle again, but do you think Eddie knows anything? Maybe _he_ is the one that found out _for her_?”

Rafael shrugged. “It’s possible. But if Yelina finds out he came here, she’s going to get suspicious.”

“He has a son that’s just a bit older than Noah, right?”

“Yeah. Mateo.”

“There’s nothing suspicious about two old friends getting together, especially when one of those friends has a little boy he wants to introduce the other to,” Olivia said.

Rafael smiled. “Nothing at all,” he agreed, his smile turning into a smirk as he walked over to where she was standing.

“What is _that_ look for?” Olivia asked with a laugh, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck as his wrapped around her waist.

“ _Because_ …” Rafael began, leaning in close, their breaths mingling. “You, my love, are absolutely _brilliant_.”

Any response Olivia could have come up with died on her lips as Rafael covered her mouth with his, pulling her tight against him.

“You might earn that house after all,” Rafael teased as he kissed along her jaw and down her throat.

“God,” Olivia responded, arching her neck back as she tried to get her brain to work properly. “Rafa.”

“Mm?”

“Work.”

“Trying.”

“People could…walk in…”

Rafael chuckled. “I told Carmen to hold my calls and keep everyone out for the rest of the afternoon. She may have tattled on you.”

“Rafa.”

Rafael captured her lips with his again, cutting off any more protests. He had just gotten her to move toward the couch when there was a loud knock on the door. He knew it could only be one person-McCoy.

“I think I hate his timing more than Noah’s,” Rafael muttered, eliciting a laugh from Olivia as she went to open the door.

“Hi, Jack,” she greeted.

Jack looked between them and then arched an eyebrow at Rafael. “Bad time?”

Rafael rolled his eyes. “Your timing is only beaten by my son’s,” he answered irritably.

Olivia laughed. “Forgive him. He’s cranky.”

“ _Cranky_?” Rafael asked incredulously. “Really, Olivia?”

Jack joined in Olivia’s laughter, eliciting another eye roll from Rafael.

“If you two are done giggling like children, we might as well continue working on this case.”

* * *

The next night, Rafael let his oldest friend into the apartment with a smile. The two friends briefly embraced before Rafael reached out and ruffled Mateo’s hair.

“Hey, kid,” he greeted.

“Hi,” Mateo replied as he tried to fix his hair.

“Speaking of kids, where’s yours?” Eddie asked.

“Busy with his latest Lego creation in the living room.”

“Lego?” Mateo asked, his eyes lighting up.

“Noah’s favorite pastime.”

“Noah, sweet boy, it’s time for dinner. You can play Lego some more afterwards,” Eddie heard a familiar female voice say. Looking over at his friend, he tilted his head questioningly. “Detective Benson?”

“Lieutenant now, and Olivia,” Rafael corrected. “But yes.”

“It’s nice to see you again, Eddie,” Olivia said as she walked over with Noah in her arms.

“Dad,” Noah said, reaching for Rafael, who immediately took him into his arms.

“Eddie, Mateo, this is my girlfriend, Olivia, and our son, Noah,” Rafael introduced.

“Dinner is ready,” Olivia told them, nodding her head toward the dining area.

* * *

After dinner, while Noah and Mateo played Lego, the three adults sat in the kitchen and talked.

“So, what did Yelina do this time?” Eddie asked.

Rafael sighed and took a sip of his scotch. “Before I answer that, I just want to make it clear that Liv and I invited you over tonight primarily because you’re my longtime friend and it’s been too long since we’ve gotten together.”

“Kind of hard when I live in the Bronx and you live in Manhattan.”

“I’m sorry.”

Eddie waved him off. “Don’t worry about it, Rafi. We keep in touch. I know you’d be there for me or Mateo in an instant if we needed you.”

“Maybe next time you two come over, you can tell me some stories about Rafa when he was younger,” Olivia said.

Eddie laughed. “I can do that.”

“But to answer your initial question, we need to know how she found out that Greg Nicholson is Jack McCoy’s godson,” Rafael told him.

“She hired a PI to look into him. She was going to try to blackmail him into dropping the charges against Alex. But Alex was convinced that the jury would find him innocent, so he convinced her to let it go.”

“She told you this?”

“I was with Alex when she told him about it. Showed him the pictures the PI had taken, the information he’d found out.”

“Did she keep that information and those pictures?” Olivia asked.

“I wouldn’t put it past her.”

“Do you know the name of this PI?”

“Not off the top of my head, sorry. But she did give me a box of stuff the other day that she wanted me to get rid of. I haven’t brought it to the shredder’s yet.”

Olivia and Rafael exchanged a look before turning back to Eddie.

“Would you mind looking through that box to see if those files are in there?” Rafael asked.

“Sure,” Eddie agreed. “Mateo and I are planning to go to the zoo on Saturday if the three of you would like to join us.”

“I have to work, but Rafa could bring Noah. He loves the zoo,” Olivia replied.

“Hey, _mijo_ , how would you like to go the zoo on Saturday with Mateo and Eddie?” Rafael called over to his son.

“The four of us?” he asked.

“Yeah. You, me, Mateo, and Eddie.”

“Yes! Can I bring Eddie?”

“I think it’s best if Master Eduardo stays here.”

Noah giggled. “I’ll have to take lots of pictures for him, then.”

At Eddie’s confused look, Olivia explained about Noah’s stuffed elephant, which was also, coincidentally, named Eddie.

* * *

The Monday after Rafael and Noah’s zoo visit with Eddie and Mateo, Olivia sat in Rafael’s office going through everything Eddie had been able to find.

“So she didn’t actually hire a PI. She did this all herself?” she asked her boyfriend.

“Apparently. I don’t know if I can prosecute this now, Liv.”

“So you would turn this all over to a special prosecutor again?”

“ _I_ was supposed to be that special prosecutor.”

“So we ask Jack to bring in someone else. But we need to do it soon. They need to be brought up to speed.”

Rafael sighed. “I’ll call him.”

As he walked away, Olivia thought she heard him mutter something about losing his chance at a promotion, but she wasn’t sure.

* * *

After turning everything he and Olivia had worked on over to the special prosecutor, Rafael spent the next few days burying himself in work. He was on the third night of working late when he heard his office door open. He knew it was Olivia, but he didn’t realize she had brought Noah until she deposited him on his lap.

“Your son misses his father,” she said.

Rafael set his pen down and looked down at his son, who was playing with his tie and leaning against his chest. He immediately felt like a horrible person.

“I’m sorry, _mijo_ ,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of Noah’s head and hugging him close. “I’m _so_ sorry.”

“Are you sad?”

“A little.”

“We could play Lego?”

Rafael chuckled. “It’s a little late for that, _mijo_.”

“But we haven’t played in _forever_.”

“I’ll make it up to you this weekend.”

“Are you coming home now?”

“I need to pack a few things, but then yes, we can go home.”

“What do you need?” Olivia asked.

“My Laptop, the open case file next to it, and the three black folders.”

Olivia nodded, quickly putting the items into Rafael’s briefcase as he stood, still holding Noah.

“Do you want to put your jacket on?” she asked, grabbing it off the back of his chair.

“I think I’ll be okay.”

“It looks like you’ve got your hands full, so I’ll just carry your jacket and briefcase.”

Rafael pressed a kiss to the side of Noah’s head and then leaned over to brush his lips with Olivia’s. “I’m sorry, Livia.”

“I know,” she replied, then smirked at him. “But I think you _owe_ me points now. I may even have enough for a house now.”

Rafael laughed. “Maybe. We’ll have to look at your deductions.”

“There aren’t any.”

“I’m not sure about that. I’ll have to double check when we get home.”

Olivia rolled her eyes at him as they walked out of his office.

* * *

After putting Noah to bed, Rafael climbed into bed beside Olivia and pulled her into his arms.

“I checked your total,” he told her.

“Oh really. What’s the verdict, counselor?”

Rafael handed her a folder. “Your prizes are pictured inside.”

“Prizes?”

“Prizes,” Rafael confirmed with a nod.

Smiling, Olivia opened the folder. The first picture was of the house that she had bookmarked on her computer the previous weekend and it had a post it stuck to it.

_La Casa de Barba_

“Rafa, you didn’t,” she said.

“I emailed the realtor a couple of days ago. We have an appointment to look at the house tomorrow afternoon.”

Olivia nodded, feeling tears prick her eyes.

“You haven’t gotten to your second prize yet,” Rafael reminded her.

Olivia nodded, setting the first picture aside. The second picture was of the courthouse and there was another post it attached.

_Where it all began_

Looking up, Olivia brought her hand to her mouth when she saw Rafael holding an open ring box in his hands.

“Olivia, I love you. I love Noah. I love being a family with the two of you. Will you marry me?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had the beginning of this written for a while, but wasn't sure where I wanted to take it. Hopefully you all like this final chapter as much as the others. Thank you to everyone who left comments and kudos. Special thanks to Sandra for giving me the (virtual) kick in the butt I needed to finish this. 
> 
> Enjoy!

****1 year later****

Walking into the house she shared with her husband and son, Olivia quickly stored her gun and badge before turning to search for the other two occupants of the house. Rafael’s afternoon meeting had cancelled, so he had left early enough to pick Noah up from school. As she turned, she spotted a post-it on the hook where their keys were kept.

_Eddie ate the last of the ice cream. Took the boy to get more._

Olivia laughed and shook her head. It seemed she was going to have to have another talk with the delinquent elephant. He was currently sitting in jail, so the talk would have to wait. He wouldn’t listen right now anyway. At least that’s what Noah told her.

* * *

Walking into the bedroom she shared with Rafael, Olivia smiled when she saw her yoga pants and the old Harvard t-shirt of Rafael’s she’d long-ago claimed lying folded on the bed. Another post-it was placed on top of them both.

_Bathe. Change. Relax._

* * *

Her smile growing, Olivia walked into the bathroom and found her favorite bath oil set out on the side of the tub with yet another post-it note.

_Never forget that we love you_

* * *

After taking a bath and changing into the more comfortable clothes, Olivia walked out of the bedroom to find Rafael in the kitchen and Noah in the living room.

“Whatever you’re making smells delicious,” she said, walking up to Rafael and wrapping an arm around his waist.

“ _Picadillo_ ,” he replied, leaning over to kiss her. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. Thank you.”

“Always, _mi alma_. And don’t worry about talking to Eddie. He and I already had a talk, _hombre a elefante_.”

Olivia laughed, giving Rafael another kiss. “How did that go?”

Rafael shrugged. “As well it could.”

“Mm. Well, maybe he’ll listen this time.”

“He and I still have trust issues.”

Olivia laughed again. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

* * *

“Hi, Mom,” Noah greeted when he saw Olivia walk into the living room.

“Hi, my sweet boy,” Olivia replied, sitting next to him on the couch and hugging him close. “How was school?”

“Good. I got all of my spelling words right. I’m supposed to read out loud to you or Dad starting next week.”

“We can do that. Maybe we could pick out a new book this weekend?”

Noah smiled and nodded. “Yes.”

“So, I heard Eddie is back to his trouble-making self.”

Noah sighed dramatically. “He is. Dad talked to him, though.”

“Good. So, what kind of ice cream did you pick out?”

* * *

Just as he turned off the stove, Rafael heard his phone ring. Seeing McCoy’s name on the display, he quickly answered.

“Barba.”

“Rafael, I need a favor.”

“Uh, sure, what is it?”

“Do you remember that special prosecutor that took over my godson’s case?”

“Yeah, we’ve crossed paths a few times since then. Why?”

“He has found himself in the same position you were last year. He has to recuse himself from the case and he’s requesting _you_ as the special prosecutor.”

“Why me?”

“He just said he trusts you the most. Plus, there’s a sex crimes aspect to it.”

“Shouldn’t that be my case anyway then?”

“The sex crimes part wasn’t discovered until later, so it was initially Homicide’s case. Their ADA declined to prosecute, but they were sure they had a case. So, as a favor to their Deputy Chief, I asked Fabian to work with a couple of the detectives from that unit. They found more information and Fabian realized he knew one of the suspects. He said he’s willing to fill you in on everything they’ve found, just like you did for him last year.”

“I’ll do it,” Rafael agreed. “Set up a meeting.”

“Perfect.”

* * *

“Who was that?” Olivia asked as she walked into the kitchen.

“Jack. He asked me for a favor. Well, Fabian asked Jack to ask me if I would prosecute a case he’s no longer able to.”

“The special prosecutor from last year?”

“The same.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him I would and to set up a meeting so Fabian can fill me in.”

“Good,” Olivia said, giving him a quick kiss before reaching into a nearby cupboard for the plates.

* * *

A few days later, as he was listening to Olivia question the foster parents in a child neglect case, Rafael noticed a little girl walk through her office door. He was about to ask her name when he saw an older woman rush into the room and take the girl’s hand.

“Sweetheart, you can’t just walk away. We need to leave.”

“No.”

The woman sighed and tried to tug on the girl’s hand, but she planted her feet and was determined not to leave.

“I’m sorry,” Rafael interrupted, gaining the attention of both the woman and the girl. “May I ask who you are?”

“My name is Nina Peterson. I work for the children’s home that Marisol here had been staying in prior to being placed with foster parents.”

“Is she the child they’re being accused of neglecting?”

“No, but she was living in the house with the parents and that child before the accusations came to light. I was instructed to bring her back to the children’s home until another foster family can be found. I was told she was doing being questioned and I could take her.”

Rafael looked from the woman to the child and then back to the woman. “Could you give us a few minutes?”

“Five,” she said, letting go of the girl’s hand and walking out of the room.

Rafael closed Olivia’s office door and then took a seat on the couch near where the girl was standing.

“So,” he began. “Your name is Marisol?”

The girl nodded. “What’s yours?”

“Rafael. My wife calls me Rafa, and my mami calls me Rafi.”

“I like Rafa.”

“You can call me Rafa if you want.”

Marisol nodded again. “Okay.”

“So, why don’t you want to go back to the children’s home?”

“I don’t like it.”

“Can I ask why?”

Marisol sighed. “Too many other kids.”

“Did you like your foster parents?”

“No. They’re not friendly,” Marisol answered before she began to cry. “Don’t want to go back.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Rafael said, reaching a hand out to her, surprised when she threw herself into his arms instead. He was rubbing her back in an effort to calm her down when Olivia returned to her office.

“Something you want to tell me?” she asked with a smile.

“This is Marisol. I guess we’re friends now.”

Olivia took a seat next to Rafael on the couch. “Hi, Marisol,” she said softly.

“Hi,” the little girl replied tentatively, still holding onto Rafael.

“Marisol, this is my wife, Olivia,” Rafael explained.

“How old are you, sweetheart?” Olivia asked.

“Three.”

“She was telling me how she doesn’t like the children’s home or the foster home she was in.”

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him, receiving a shrug in response.

“Don’t make me go,” Marisol pleaded.

“I don’t have a choice right now,” Olivia reluctantly told her. “I’m so sorry.”

Marisol looked like she was going to cry again, her green eyes filled with unshed tears.

“I’ll walk you back out to Nina, okay?” Rafael offered as he stood and held out his hand.

Marisol nodded, taking Rafael’s hand and silently following him out of the room. Olivia felt her heart break. She had only felt an immediate connection with a child one other time-with Noah. Rushing after Rafael, she caught up to him as he was talking to the woman she assumed to be Nina.

“I’m sorry, Marisol can’t leave yet,” Olivia told the other woman. “I need to talk to ADA Barba for a few moments; we might have a few more questions for her. Could you give us ten more minutes?”

“Make it quick,” Nina replied.

* * *

“What’s going on, Livia?” Rafael asked once they were back in her office.

“You filled out your foster parent paperwork, right?” Olivia asked.

They had been talking about adopting another child and Olivia had encouraged him to at least fill out the paperwork. This way, if they found a child, it would hopefully be a smoother road fostering and then possibly adopting him or her.

“Yes. Why?”

Olivia took a deep breath. “Do you remember how I told you I felt this immediate connection with Noah?”

Rafael nodded. “Of course.”

“I felt that with Marisol. I know you did, too. I saw it on your face, so don’t bother trying to deny it.”

Rafael chuckled as he pulled her into his arms. “Never, _mi alma_.”

“Do you think she’d get along with Noah?”

“Noah is a sweet kid. He gets along with most people.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I don’t know,” Rafael answered with a shrug. “But I think they’d get along.”

“I want to take her home with us,” Olivia revealed.

“Tonight?”

“Yes.”

“What about Noah?”

“If they don’t get along, we’ll figure something else out. Please, Rafa.”

Rafael looked at his watch and then sighed before turning his attention back to his wife. “I guess we’d better get going, then, if we’re going to stop and get her some things before we go home. Lucy can only stay until seven tonight.”

Olivia grinned and kissed him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

* * *

Walking back out to the squad room, Rafael saw that Marisol was holding a bear stuffed animal and wearing a backpack he hadn’t seen before.

“Are those all of Marisol’s things?” he asked Nina, who was standing near the little girl.

“Some of them. She has some at her former foster home that we still need to collect. Why?”

“Lieutenant Barba and I would like to take her home with us.”

“Let me make a couple of calls,” Nina said, taking out her cell phone. After a few minutes, she returned. “I’ve arranged for her to be in your care overnight. Should you wish to keep her longer, you’ll need to stop into the office and see my supervisor, Kelly Peters. She’ll be in by nine AM tomorrow.”

Rafael nodded, glancing over to see Olivia was still talking with her detectives. “Thank you,” he said before turning to Marisol. “Ready, _niñita_?”

Marisol looked from Nina to Rafael. “Ready?” she repeated.

Rafael held out his hand. “Olivia and I are taking you home with us.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Marisol hugged her bear tightly before taking Rafael’s hand, holding it tightly as they walked over to Olivia.

* * *

“Liv, we need to get going,” Rafael said as he approached her.

“Go, Liv, we got it covered here,” Fin told her.

“Okay, thanks. I’ll see you Monday,” Olivia replied, taking Rafael’s free hand and lacing their fingers together before letting him lead her and Marisol out of the precinct.

* * *

The next morning, Olivia woke to the sound of laughter coming from down the hall. Blinking her eyes open, she saw a post it on the pillow next to her.

_Thought you deserved to sleep in. Kids will be fed and kept entertained. I love you._

* * *

Smiling, Olivia placed the post-it on her bedside table and then got up and padded to the ensuite bathroom to take advantage of the lazy morning she’d been given. Noah and Marisol had gotten along immediately, even asking to camp out in the living room together. Marisol had been introduced to Eddie and Noah had been introduced to Bianca. The kids had both laughed when Rafael “reminded” Eddie to behave and instructed him to not teach Bianca bad things. Some of Noah’s old toys, some blocks and a shape-sorter, that he used to play with had been taken out and given to Marisol. Noah, seeming to effortlessly slip into the role of big brother, had shown Marisol how to use the shape-sorter and how to build a tall tower with the blocks.

* * *

****3 months later****

Holding Marisol in his arms and Noah’s hand in his, Rafael waited for Olivia to unlock their front door. Their friends and family would be joining them soon to celebrate Marisol’s adoption. She was now officially Marisol Catalina Barba.

“Mama, you didn’t have to go through all this trouble,” Olivia said to Lucia as she walked into the living room and saw all of the food already set out.

“Nonsense, _mija_ ,” Lucia replied with a wave of her hand. “This is what family does.”

Olivia looked over at Rafael and shared a smile with him before leaning over to brush her lips with his. Lifting Noah into her arms, she moved closer to Rafael. “ _Familia_.”

“ _Gracias,_ Mami,” Rafael said as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “For everything.”

“For my family? _Anything_ ,” Lucia replied with a smile before reaching for her camera. “Now, let’s get a good picture of the four of you before everyone gets here.”

* * *

Later that night, after everyone had gone home, Olivia and Rafael cuddled on the couch with their children. Since it was a special occasion, they had agreed to let them watch a bedtime movie instead of the usual bedtime story. Noah sitting between his parents while Marisol sat on Rafael’s lap and rested her head against his chest. A quilt made by Rafael’s grandmother was laid across their laps to keep them warm.

“Stay forever now?” Marisol asked, looking between her parents and her brother.

“Yes, sweet girl, stay forever,” Olivia replied, running a hand over her hair.

“Stay forever. You’re a Barba now,” Noah told her as he reached for her hand.

Rafael pressed a kiss to the top of her head and tightened his arms around his family. “We’re all going to stay forever.”

**Author's Note:**

> I used to work on hospitality, so the way the manager treats Olivia in this chapter is not at all how guests should be treated, but I decided to exaggerate a bit for the sake of the story and because I always get a kick out of Olivia telling people exactly *who* her best friend is :)
> 
> translations:  
> arroz con pollo: rice with chicken  
> amiguito: little friend


End file.
